Happy New Years
by JosephineSilver
Summary: In which Jason is like a horse (an angsty one), Reyna is the new girl, and Dakota is yet to discover red Kool Aid. Written for the Percy Jackson ships week. One shot.


_**So, hiya.  
Some of you may be thinking, 'hey, why haven't you updated Cursed Blood?'  
I'm not even going to ask about Shattered Eternity since next to nobody is reading that story.  
Anyway, answer to above question? I haven't had time.  
#exams  
Yeah. I don't wanna talk about it.  
I will update soon(ish) though!  
Anyway, this small piece is something I wrote for the PJatO ships week (I know, cutting it a bit fine, aren't I?), and it's a JasonXReyna fic, because, well, it's their ship this week.  
Enjoy, y'all.**_

* * *

_New Years means nothing to Jason, but at the same time, it meant everything._

* * *

"Hey, Jason," Dakota said, walking by. His mouth was stained purple – grape seemed, for whatever reason, to be the flavour of the month.

* * *

_He hadn't yet discovered the red kind._

* * *

"It's your birthday, right, kid?"  
Jason winced.

* * *

_He hated it when people mentioned that._

* * *

"Not really," he muttered mutinously. "I don't know when my real birthday is."

* * *

_Jason had been brought into camp as a very small child – too young to know his age, let alone his birthday._

* * *

Dakota grimaced. He'd forgotten how sensitive the kid could be. Just about at the age of twelve – at least, that's what everyone figured – and he was one hell of a hormonal grump.  
Puberty was hitting him hard.  
"Well, Happy New Years, then, I guess," Dakota finished awkwardly as he shuffled his feet, preparing to keep walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

_So, like a horse, they'd given him a fixed date as a 'birthday'._

* * *

Jason's eyes flashed.

* * *

_New Years._

* * *

The next year, around his 'birthday', someone new showed up.

* * *

_Someone new on New Years. How __**ironic**__._

* * *

Her name was Reyna, and her eyes flashed – not like his, but with defiance.

* * *

_But Jason could see the fear in her eyes – the loneliness and pain that could only come from one thing – abandonment._

* * *

He was like her – no family.

* * *

_Ten minutes to midnight._

* * *

Jason stood on a balcony in New Rome, surveying the view, awaiting the moment when he would _officially _– heavy sarcasm – become a teenager, at age thirteen.

* * *

_Nine minutes to go._

* * *

In his left hand, he held an elaborately carved flamethrower, in the other, a slice of marble cake.

* * *

_A gift of food to the gods. An implement full of sacred flame._

* * *

All he wanted was to know his true birthday.

* * *

_A sacrifice, a prayer._

* * *

"Jason?"

* * *

_Footsteps behind him. A voice._

* * *

Jason turned.

* * *

_Reyna._

* * *

"Hey," he smiled at her, trying to hide what he held in his hands. "Did you want something?"

Reyna blushed ever so slightly. "Just to say thank you," she whispered. "You were nice to me when I got here, so...thanks."  
She smiled at him, her exotic colouring and features glowing – seemingly from the light that reflected off her pearly white teeth.

"It was nothing," Jason answered.

* * *

_He'd forgotten all about his sacrifice; his birthday wish._

* * *

"Can I stay up here and watch the fireworks with you?"

* * *

_Maybe, he considered,_

* * *

"Sure."

* * *

_New Years wasn't all that bad after all._

* * *

Reyna smiled.

* * *

_After all, with it, had come one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen walking this earth._

* * *

As the fireworks filled the sky with spectacular colours, and the clock struck midnight, Jason thought about how he didn't really need to know his birthday.

* * *

_He had this._

* * *

Reyna gave him a sideling glance through the corner of her eyes. "Screw tradition, Grace. You're not getting a kiss out of me.

Jason laughed. "I can wait."

* * *

_And he didn't want anything else._

* * *

_**So, what'd you guys think? All kinds of feedback are welcome, except flames. If your criticism isn't constructive, than get out of here. Now. You will not be tolerated, and I will report you. **_

_**EDITED: I added in line breaks, but that is all. Honorable mention to Solaerius for telling me how. **_


End file.
